The 49ers will be without defensive end Jordan Willis for the first six games of the 2021 season after he was suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy the team announced Thursday.
Willis will still be allowed to participate in training camp, preseason practices and preseason games. He’ll start the year on the suspended list and will be allowed to return to the roster after Week 7’s showdown against the Indianapolis Colts, and can return to the field in Week 8 at Chicago.
San Francisco acquired Willis last year in a mid-season trade with the New York Jets. He played in seven games and notched 13 tackles along with 2.5 sacks. COVID-19 knocked him out of one game, and he missed the season finale with an ankle injury that landed him on Injured Reserve.
Willis entered the NFL with the Bengals as a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. He’s played in 50 games with two starts, compiling 65 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
The 49ers re-signed Willis to a one-year contract in March.
